Chapter 33: The Splendid Country Part 2

When Xia Wuheng saw the plate of cornbread buns served at the dinner table, he flew into a rage. He grabbed a bun and hurled it at Little Six beside him.

“What is this? You actually make This Prince eat such stuff!?”

Little Six pursed his lips and said: “My Prince, the mansion is almost out of money. The kitchen staff says we can’t even afford vegetables anymore.” So maybe you should hand over some money!

Prince Heng sneered. “How much silver has This Prince rewarded them in the past? I’m afraid each and every one of them has been lining their own pockets.”

Little Six felt rather speechless. He wanted to say that lately, you’ve been spending money like water, even gambling tens of thousands of taels at a time. It would be a miracle if the mansion wasn’t in deficit.

“My Prince, the mansion truly has no money left.” Little Six sighed.

Xia Wuheng slumped somewhat dejectedly into a chair and asked: “Where is the Dowager Consort?”

Little Six said: “Her Highness the Dowager Consort has already returned to the estate to recuperate. She said she’ll come back in a while, and told you, my Prince, to rest and recover first.”

Xia Wuheng gave a cold snort. So, even his own mother couldn’t be bothered to help him now, was that it?

And that Divine Doctor Shui—to this day, no word had come from him. But his own injuries were already mostly healed, so there was no need for him to see the doctor anyway.

Having not left the mansion for a long time, he suddenly thought of his mistress, Lian Niang, whom he had kept outside. He didn’t know what situation that woman was in out there. So he said: “Prepare things. This Prince is going out.”

“Ah, this…” Little Six showed some hesitation, scratching his head. “My Prince, you want to go out?”

A flicker of coldness passed through Xia Wuheng’s eyes. “You think this is a joke? If I stay here any longer, I’ll start growing mold.”

Little Six wanted to remind him of something, but seemed to have some reservations. In the end, he lowered his head and said nothing.

Xia Wuheng changed his clothes and went out, walking with his head high and chest out. But when people on the main street saw him, they all cast strange looks his way, even whispering to each other right in front of him.

“Prince Heng has finally come out.”

“Don’t talk nonsense. He’s no longer Prince Heng. Her Majesty demoted him to a commoner.”

“As expected, without the title of Prince Heng, he just looks… like that.”

All these words reached Xia Wuheng’s ears. His fists clenched tightly, and only with the utmost restraint did he manage not to erupt.

“In a refined palace, fairies gathered like clouds, beauties like paintings. Prince Heng let out a mean-spirited and offensive fart…”

An eight-year-old child holding a small booklet was reading the words aloud, line by line.

Xia Wuheng finally couldn’t take it anymore. The veins on his forehead bulged. He quickly turned around and snatched the small booklet from the child’s hands. He looked at the large characters written on the cover: 《The Life of the Despised Prince Heng》.

The inside was filled almost entirely with rumors smearing him, slandering and insulting him.

“What is this?! Who wrote it?!”

The child, having been shouted at ferociously, burst into tears with a wail. “Waaaaa—”

“Shut up!” Xia Wuheng snapped, unable to endure it any longer. However, the very next moment, a broom came flying at him, smacking into his face.

“You snatch my son’s things, and you yell at him too?” A woman shielded her son behind her, hands on her hips as she started scolding. But when she saw Xia Wuheng’s face, she paused for a moment.

“You lowly commoner, how dare you treat This Prince like this!” Xia Wuheng’s gaze was dark and cold.

The woman was somewhat scornful. “You’ve been demoted to a commoner, and yet you still go around calling others lowly commoners? How utterly shameless can you be?”

Then she scooped up her son and left, comforting him as she walked: “Dear, be good. Don’t mind that kind of person. Anyway, this booklet was cheap. Mother will buy you another one in a bit…”

Hearing this, Xia Wuheng swayed unsteadily. Luckily, Little Six, beside him, caught his arm. “My Prince, perhaps we should return to the mansion.”

“No need.” Xia Wuheng forced himself to calm down and waved his hand. “This Prince is going to see Lian Niang.”

He insisted on going to see that mistress. When he reached the house where she was kept, he suddenly heard flirtatious laughter coming from inside. Besides the woman’s laughter, there was also a man’s voice.

Right now, the mistress he had been lavishly keeping was fooling around with a wild man, even having intimate contact.

“Heh heh…” An eerie laugh escaped Xia Wuheng’s lips. He lifted his gaze, looking darkly at those two silhouettes inside.

He knew it. He knew that without his power and influence, everyone would betray him.

He drew the dagger from his waist and kicked the door open with murderous intent, planning to slaughter that adulterous pair inside and vent his fury.

The moment the door opened, the two people inside were startled by Xia Wuheng.

“Wretched woman! This Prince treated you so well, and you fool around with a lover?!” As a man, Xia Wuheng could not tolerate these women cuckolding him. He was determined to kill the adulterer and the adulteress.

Lian Niang was so terrified her face turned pale. The man with her started fighting with Xia Wuheng.

Xia Wuheng didn’t know martial arts and was no match for the man. In the end, he was beaten to the ground. He could only watch helplessly as his mistress and the wild man ransacked the house for all its valuables, packed them up, and left.

Before leaving, Lian Niang even turned back to say: “My Prince, I didn’t want it to be this way, but you are just too pathetic. I had no choice…”

Xia Wuheng’s fury shot straight to the top of his head. He almost couldn’t catch his breath.

He truly couldn’t understand why everything had turned out this way. Exactly which step had gone wrong? Why…

He was filled with unwilling resentment. He questioned himself over and over, the obsession in his heart climbing to its peak.

At that moment, a figure that seemed familiar walked up to him. It crouched down and spoke: “Tsk tsk, such a pitiful state, Prince Heng.”

Xia Wuheng’s eyes widened. “You are…”

“Shh, don’t speak. Just ask you this: do you want revenge? And, do you want to eliminate Xia Lingyu and ascend to the Throne?”

A determined light flashed through Xia Wuheng’s eyes. Of course. Those two wretched women who had reduced him to his current state—how could he allow them to continue living in ease and comfort?

He would definitely have his revenge, and at the same time, the Throne would definitely be his!

…

Another three months passed, and the weather turned cold.

Xiao Luo was somewhat afraid of the cold. So Xia Lingyu ordered the palace servants to light ample charcoal braziers in the hall. The interior was very warm, so warm that Xiao Luo stayed in bed all day, unwilling to get up.

When Xia Lingyu returned from morning court, she saw a long lump huddled under the large bedcovers. Only a head peeked out from the pillows, like a cute, fluffy little animal.

Xia Lingyu couldn’t control her hand. She walked over and rubbed Xiao Luo’s head, coaxing her gently: “Little lazy cat, time to get up.”

“Mm?” Xiao Luo turned her head and glanced at her, then immediately burrowed back into the covers, rolling herself up into a cocoon. “No, no.”

Seeing her uncooperative manner, Xia Lingyu wasn’t annoyed. She dragged the blanket over and, bit by bit, peeled it open, extracting the person inside.

“Your Majesty.” Xiao Luo cast her a resentful glance. “Your Majesty bullies me so terribly. And now you won’t even let me sleep properly!”

Xiao Luo wore nothing at all. Her bare skin was exposed, the ambiguous marks upon it clearly visible.

Xia Lingyu glanced once, then forcibly averted her gaze. She casually grabbed a cloak and wrapped it around her, saying: “It’s my fault. How about I massage your legs tonight?”

Xiao Luo’s eyes lit up, and she immediately nodded.

It had to be said, not only were Xia Lingyu’s fingers skilled, but her massage technique was also top-notch. Every session left Xiao Luo savoring the feeling endlessly.

“My wife is so good.” Xiao Luo kissed Xia Lingyu on the lips.

Suddenly, she turned her head. Outside the window, goose-feather snow was drifting down, swirling thickly in a blanket of white. It was absolutely breathtaking.

“It’s snowing.” Xiao Luo sighed with emotion. Unknowingly, it had been more than half a year since she arrived in this world.

“Mm, this is the first snowfall.” Xia Lingyu brought her clothes over and said: “You’re afraid of the cold, so wear thicker layers.”

Xiao Luo got dressed, and after dining with Xia Lingyu, she went out to tread a circle in the snowy ground. When she was tired of playing, she walked toward Xia Lingyu.

Xia Lingyu touched her hand and chided: “Still playing in such cold?”

Despite her scolding tone, she proactively took Xiao Luo’s hand and held it in her arms to warm it.

Xia Lingyu lowered her head. Snowflakes settled one by one on her thick eyelashes, making her face appear as pure as ice and as clear as jade.

Xiao Luo was momentarily dazed. Her heart felt as if it had been struck by something. She couldn’t resist reaching out to brush the snowflakes away, then standing on tiptoes to kiss the corner of her eye.

“My wife, I love you.”

Xia Lingyu’s eyelashes trembled slightly. She raised her eyes to look at Xiao Luo. Her gaze shimmered. In her eyes, there was only Xiao Luo.

“I love you too.”

At this moment, the beautiful snowy scenery around them became their backdrop.

In the distance, Chuntao secretly glanced at this beautiful scene, an uncontrollable grin spreading across her face. She said to Lin Qiao’er beside her: “Her Majesty and Her Highness are truly so loving.”

Lin Qiao’er also looked in that direction. Seeing those two figures steeped in deep affection amid the snowy day, her heart felt somewhat stifled.

She said nothing and returned the way she came with downcast eyes.

“Aiya, what’s wrong with you? Where are you going?” Chuntao chased after her and asked.

Lin Qiao’er replied dismissively: “I’m preparing for the Female Official examination. Don’t follow me. Just stay by Her Highness’s side properly.”

After this period of time, she couldn’t quite explain what was wrong with herself. Every time she saw Her Highness and Her Majesty together, she felt a pang of discomfort in her heart.

She knew this wasn’t right. She shouldn’t harbor such thoughts about Her Highness. So she could only avoid them.

Lin Qiao’er’s thoughts were in chaos. She didn’t pay any attention to which path she was taking, turning left and right. Suddenly, she noticed someone standing ahead of her. It was an incredibly familiar figure.

She raised her eyes, stunned. “Xia Wuheng?”

After several months, she had met him again, and right here in the Imperial Garden. The current Xia Wuheng showed none of his previous dishevelment. He was still that graceful, gentlemanly Prince.

Xia Wuheng looked down at her with a slight smile, his tone gentle: “Qiao’er, long time no see. I didn’t expect you’d be as… ungrateful as ever.”

As his words fell, the vicious ruthlessness in his eyes flared. He drew a dagger and stabbed toward Lin Qiao’er’s abdomen.

…

On the other side, the System’s alarm sounded in Xiao Luo’s mind: 【Female Lead under attack. Triggering Mission—reach the Female Lead’s location within half a quarter hour and treat her injuries.】

Xiao Luo paused. This System… it didn’t warn her before the Female Lead was in danger, yet now it issued a notification?

System: 【Host, go quickly! If you don’t, the Female Lead will die!】

It sent Xiao Luo the Female Lead’s location coordinates.

So Xiao Luo gritted her teeth, looked at Xia Lingyu, and said: “Your Majesty, I need to save someone. Can you please summon the Imperial Physician for me? I’m begging you, Your Majesty.”

Xia Lingyu’s gaze deepened. She knew that it was likely that palace maid named Lin Qiao’er who was in trouble again. But how could Xiao Luo know this in advance while being right here with her?

It seems her wife still harbored secrets.